Of Avatars, scarves and ProBending matches
by AutumnsFlowers
Summary: A collection of drabbles revolving around Korra and her friends.
1. Euphoric

**Euphoric**

Korra woke up at dawn. The light of the day illuminated the ice around her making it shine like millions of little stars. She stretched her arm enjoying the cold breeze.

"Naga, Naga wake up girl!" The giant polar bear dog opened her eyes and sent her a curious look.

"Are you hungry? Cause I am. I brought some food with us. It´s not much but it will be enough until we get to Republic City. Then we´ll find Tenzin, and…" Korra didn´t really have a plan on what she would do after arriving in Republic City. Tenzin will have to teach her air bending after all the way she had gone to get to him right?

Shaking her head she stood up. She wasn´t the type to make long time plans. She would just jump at the occasion and not think much about the consequences.

Korra took some dried fish from her bag and gave it to Naga. While they were eating her mind wandered and she wondered again on what Republic City would look like. She had been told that it was different from any other place in the world but she couldn´t remember much more. Except that there they held the pro-bending matches, but that information wasn´t that useful to her at the moment.

She quickly looked at her right, following the path they had travelled last night. Katara surely could cover her escape for a while, but she should better get moving anyway.

When Naga finished eating she packed the few things she had brought, jumped on Naga and restarted their journey.

As soon as they were moving Korra felt her excitement rise. Naga must have felt it too and accelerated her walk. Her excitement was not only due to the fact that she would finally see Republic City but, for the first real time, Korra felt really free and in full control of herself. There was no Order of The White Lotus to look after her, no bending master to tell her what to do. Just her, Naga and the infinite ice landscape of the South Pole.

"NAGA, NAGA WE ARE FREE GIRL, WE ARE FREE! Oh Naga I feel so good now, I feel so strong, like I could do anything if I want."

"We´ll get to Republic City, I´ll learn air bending and then I´ll truly be the Avatar! I´ll show everyone and everyone will know how great Avatar Korra is!"

_Yes, yes Naga, no matter what happens, no matter what troubles we might encounter, we´ll face them, AND WE´LL WIN!_

She let go a scream of mixed happiness and challenge to the future. A bright smile formed in the girl´s face.

And so the Avatar and the polar bear dog ran toward their future.


	2. Breathe

**Breathe**

"It´s all in the breath." That´s what his father used to tell him. And he treasured these words as he treasured all the others he had said when he was alive. And it´s weird how they came to his mind now, in the middle of a pro-bending match. The Fire Ferrets are fighting another team, a not so strong one (_but he better keep an eye on the earthbender anyway_) and Mako´s mind is remembering his father´s teachings.

"To be able to firebend, you´ll first have to learn how to breathe."

"But I already do that." He had said, not quite sure he understood what his father meant.

"No, you´re not. Nowadays people are too stressed, too busy with their life that they have forgotten how to breath correctly. That way they don´t let the energy flow in and out their body. If you want to become a good firebender you will have to learn how to control your inner energy, your chi, and how to let it out, by using your breath."

It took months and months before he finally could control his energy, _his breath, _and by the time he truly became a firebender his father was no longer in this world (_killed by someone who had his same gift_).

But he remembers, and really _it is all in the breath,_ he thinks as he dances through the waterbender opponent´s attacks. Dances. Right, because firebending is some kind of dance. A wild, dangerous one.

One step to the right. Turn around, breath in, fire out.

Three quick steps to the left, breath in, punch out, let your breath become fire.

Jump up, kick out, let the fire push the earthbender back towards the waterbender. Two down.

He´s not done yet. He moves quickly (_breath in, breath out_) in the hypnotic dance of firebending. He knows, his father told him. Fire can be harsh, aggressive, uncontrollable and destructive. But fire is the one that provides light and warmth. It provides life, and that is why he hadn´t give up on fire when his father died (_he couldn´t, he wouldn´t_). Because he believes in his teachings (_and he had a brother to protect_).

He lets Bolin take down the other opponent and as the crowd bursts out in acclaims he lowers his head and closes his eyes, (_breath in, breath out_) and smiles.


	3. Adrenaline

**Run**

Amon had taken Lightning Bolt Zolt´s bending away. The light of his last blast of fire still lighted the stage and his cry of disbelief soon was masked by the roar of acclaims from the public.

Mako tried to stay calm and pushed these thoughts into a corner of his mind. He would deal with them later, right now he had to find a way to get his brother out of this mess.

He focused on Bolin. His brother was terrified and it wouldn´t take long before Amon would turn his attention to him and take his bending away.

He looked around desperately trying to find something, anything that could help him. Suddenly, something caught his eye and he knew he had a plan. He turned to Korra. The girl was still shocked from what she had seen but when she noticed his look she turned her head toward him, her eyes were full of determination. Good, because he needed her help now more than ever.

"Any plans yet?"

"I think so. See those machines there? They´re powered by water and steam. If you could get us some cover I can grab Bolin without anyone seeing it. Then we duck out of here."

"Works for me."

Mako started moving but was stopped by Korra. The Avatar had grabbed him by the jacket and looked straight into his eyes while giving him her right hand.

"Mako, good luck!"

He squeezed her hand and they split up. Korra headed backstage and she was soon out of his sight. Mako tried to get himself nearer to the stage. As soon as Korra broke the machines he would jump there and save his brother.

He pushed his way through people trying to look as if he wanted to get a better view but no one even bothered looking at him, too busy on gasping at how Amon was taking bending away from the Triple Threat Triads.

He needed to hurry. What was taking her so long? Suddenly, fear got through him. What if someone had found her? How was he going to save Bolin now? Fear was then replaced by worry and guilt. What if someone had _really_ found her? What if they had captured her? Scenes of the past two days they had spent together flashed through his mind. She had been so eager to help him find Bolin and he hadn´t even thanked her. _Worse_, he had brought her here, the most dangerous place where she, as Avatar, could be.

No, no, she had to be okay. She _was_ the Avatar after all. She was Korra, no one could easily take her down.

As soon as he thought that, he heard a huge noise and with a roar, steam covered the entire place. People started screaming and running towards the entrance.

Relief washed through him. _She did it_. Without wasting another second he jumped on the stage and kicked out a chi-blocker who was approaching his brother. Bolin saw him and began saying nonsensical things before Mako grabbed his shoulder and pushed him towards the exit.

Thank yous could wait.


	4. Date

**Date**

It was the day of the week known as "Market Day" and the streets surrounding Republic City Park were full of people and stalls selling all kinds of items. There were stalls with food, serving fish, meat, vegetables, spices and stalls with skewers, spring rolls, noodles and biscuits. At a stall was a man serving hot jasmine tea, claiming his tea to be the best one in Republic City.

Other stalls sold clothes, bags, shoes, house articles, toys, books and much more. You could spend an entire day and still not see half of the things sold here.

Asami and Mako entered the park at the side of the market after spending an entire morning there. Asami held on tight to a sachet of purple fabric. Inside was a pink hairpin Mako had bought her, even though she disagreed with it. She knew his financial conditions and even a small hairpin was a luxury for him. But he had insisted claiming that she had done so much for he and his brother that this was the least he could do for her.

They sat on a bench and Asami cuddled herself in to his arms and rested her head on his shoulder. Only there with him she felt safe, that was the only place she knew she could stay forever and never get tired of. In Mako´s arms she felt protected and loved. She had never felt like this before and even if she could afford a hundred of these hairpins none of them would hold the same meaning this one had for her.


	5. Gazing

**Gazing**

Mako smiled at his brother sleeping face. Tomorrow they would face the Wolf Bats in the final match, and for the first time, they actually had a chance to win.

He didn´t felt like sleeping yet, instead he stood up from the chair where he had been sitting and went to his favorite place in the house: the window.

He had noticed that he had been spending quite a lot of time sitting near that window recently. He had always liked the view from up there. From there he could see a big part of the city, the sea, Air Temple Island and Avatar Aang´s Memorial Island. The view from up there was priceless, and he felt blessed and safe as he watched the city from above.

Unsurprisingly, his gaze turned toward Air Temple Island, something he had noticed to be doing quite often recently. His golden eyes searched through the Island until they found a small light coming from one of the rooms. In his mind, that was Korra´s room. He wondered why the room was still lighted late that hour and what was the young Avatar doing (assuming that was her room after all).

Maybe, just maybe, she was as restless as he was, thinking about next day´s match. And maybe, just maybe, she was at the window too, looking at his direction…

At that thought, his cheeks burned slightly and he remembered that kiss. Without thinking his hand ran to his mouth, his fingers tracing his lips as he remembered hers. It had happened so unexpectedly, and he had give in almost immediately. Confusion had left place to a feeling of warmth he had never felt before. Her lips trembled a bit, her sincere feelings rushing through him, and he had found himself surprisingly kissing back. In those short seconds his mind, usually full of worries had blanked out, only the two of them existed and he had forgotten about everything else: his brother, Asami, the tournament. But the kiss had broken up too soon, and he came back to reality only to find out he had broken his brother´s heart.

He had felt guilty, but… he couldn´t bring himself to regret that kiss. As much as it seemed wrong it was _right _in an odd way. And that was making him feel even more guilty.

But now, in the middle of the night, there was only him and that light from the Island and he could leave his worries aside for a while and accept his confusion, his mixed feelings for that girl, that extraordinary girl who he had come into his life so suddenly and changed it irremediably. And now he simply cannot imagine how it was before without her.

The light on the island fell but he continued looking until he too fell asleep, dreaming of blue eyes like the ocean and a laughter that could wipe out all of his worries.


	6. Teacher

**Teacher**

He watched her as she repeated the new set of movements he had taught her earlier that morning. She carefully placed her feet, her arms stretched in front of her. She was moving in circles, eyes narrowed in concentration, mouth shut, a drop of sweat fell from her temple. She had been training like this for weeks, she had progressed, but still hadn´t managed to air bend. She was frustrated and he could see that, but she doesn't give up. She is stubborn. She trusts him and his teaching and his advices.

_Be patient_ he tells her.

She trusts him, but is he worth her trust? Can he really teach this energetic girl the way of air bending? He doesn´t admit it out loud, but sometimes he has doubts too. He sometimes wonders that perhaps he is unworthy of this task.

He thinks the spirits have a very odd sense of humor. Everything he knows he had learned from his father. And now his father has been reincarnated as this girl who he has to teach. This restless and stubborn girl, so different from the previous Avatar.

"Korraaaa" Ikki and Meelo arrive on Naga´s back. The giant polar bear dog licked Korra´s face and the girl burst out in a laugh. And it´s in that moment, in that laugh, that he can sense the echo of his father´s laugh. He smiles, maybe she is not that different from his father after all.

She and his father trust him, he simply has to trust her too.


	7. Terror

**Terror**

Midnight. The clock sounded midnight and made her jump from surprise. She breathed slowly to calm herself. She was ready in an attack position, but Amon hadn´t come yet.

She had chosen the place for this endgame. Aang´s Memorial Island. It was a visible place, easy to control, nowhere to escape. She had plenty of water and earth to use. Tactically, it was perfect. Not to mention, there was Aang´s statue. Somehow its presence reassured her. His statue was imposing, it symbolized his power and mysticism. The power of the Avatar. It inspired her and hoped it would at least intimidate her opponent. But on the other hand it reminded her of the fact that she still had never communicated with him and that absence convinced her of the fact that she was really alone to fight against Amon. Now it was too late to back off, she had to face him.

But as the hours passed by it became clear that Amon wasn´t going to show up. She yawned tiredly and looked at the time. She had done her job, she came here and had waited almost three hours. The coward hadn´t come, no one could blame her if she decided to go home.

She got up and slowly headed to where she had left her boat. She was already imagining the comfort of her bed when a sudden sound, similar to the one of an arrow pierced the air. The next moment something wrapped her legs and made her lose her balance. She didn´t have the time to realize with her falling that she was pulled inside the temple.

But she hadn´t trained those past years for nothing. With a kick she freed herself, got up and started punching fire to illuminate the chamber and see her aggressor.

What she saw filled her with fear.

Like in her worst nightmares chi blockers were in front of her, their red eyes gleaming in the dark. With her eyes wide from terror she punched and kicked as they attacked her but there were simply too many. They tied her. She struggled to break free until they blocked her chi and caused her to lose all energy.

How foolish had she been to think that Amon would really listen to her and face her one on one. She had played right into his hands.

As she regained her consciousness she moved her head slowly to register what was around her. The rest of her body was still blocked and she could only stare terrified as Amon entered her view. The mask that populated her nightmares filled her vision and she would have screamed but her mouth could not emit a sound.

He reached his hand toward her face. _NO, NO, she didn´t want her bending to be taken away. No, please no_. Never had she felt this way. She had always been protected by every danger in her life. First by her family and then by the White Lotus. She had never really had to face any danger alone. She had grown up thinking there could be no one stronger than her. She was the Avatar, master of the elements. Now her eyes were filled with fear, sweat was running down her back and tears were forming in the corners of her eyes.

He placed his hand under her chin and made her raise her head. She had to look straight into his eyes, eyes of which she could not define the colour, dangerous eyes, hateful eyes. They gave her the sensation of looking into her own doom. She cannot defeat him, can she? Looking at him makes her forget that she is the Avatar. She is completely defenceless.

"… I will destroy you." The moment she realizes he won´t take her bending away and a little light of hope blooms inside her is the same when with a quick move he makes her faint.

She falls. Memories fill her mind, people she has never seen but are familiar to her. She recognizes a man with an arrow on his head. These memories are his. He is an air bender. _Aang…?_

"KORRA!"

…

She burst into a cry as Tenzin held her and tells her that the nightmare is over, that everything is okay now. And she cries, letting her fear go away. She has never experienced fear like this before and she was glad it had been Tenzin who had found her.

She gratefully whispered a thank you.


End file.
